Capsule orienting and feeding device



JOHN K.TAGGART BY HENRY F. COFFEY @m e Qta4/7 ATTORNEYS IN V EN TORS J- K. TAGGART ETAL CAPSULE ORIENTING AND FEEDING DEVICE Filed June 24, 1953 March 26, 1957 FIG.2

2,786,566 CAPSULE ORIENTING-ANDJFEEDING DEVICE John K. Taggart and Henry F.- Cotfey, Indianapoliglndl, assignors' to Eli Lilly andCompany, Indianapolis, Ind;, a'corporation of Indiana Application June.24,.1953', Serial No. 3635882 wens-.- Curt- This invention .relates to amechanism. for orienting and feeding capsules.

Machines-such as are used for filling or counting capsules require a mechanism for orienting and feeding the capsules from a supply hopper where the capsules lie in random or promiscous arrangement, to the mechanism for rectifying and decapping the capsules in thecase of fillingempty capsules, or to the counting chutes or tubes in the case of packaging filled capsules. Heretofore there have been provided for this purpose mechanisms of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,545,777 for Capsule Decapping Machine granted to A. W.' Kath et al. on July 14, 1925. Mechanisms ofthe character exemplifiedby this patent generally accomplish capsule orientation and feeding by vertically reciprocating thecapsule supply hopper and capsule feed tubes relative to each other. Other machines of similar character have used inverted conesin association with horizontally disposed grooved disks or rollers. i i

As is well known, ingestible capsules for containing medicaments are made of gelatin, methylcellulose orthe like and, of necessity, have a relatively thin wall thickness which renders them fairly delicate and fragile The constant, and more or less 'violent'jogging action of the reciprocating hopper and tube construction frequentlyresults in damage to the capsule parts. In instances where the capsules are of'the'telescoping cap and body type, this tumbling action often causes-the' 'caps robe-conic separated from the bodies with resulting spillage andidi's persion' of the medicament content over and upon the other capsules presentj'in the supply hopper. Feeding mechanisms of the grooved disk and roller type are not altogether satisfactory inthat undue strains and relatively heavy frictional pressures aref'applied to the capsules under the mode of operation of these machines.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a capsule orienting and feeding device for, use

nited States Patent the accompanyingdrawings and will be more particularly; pointed out in the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation ofthe improved capsule orienting and feeding device, and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a rotor element employed therein together with the driving means therefor.

Referring to Fig. l, the improved capsule orientingandi feeding device includes a' hopper generally indicated at in: for containing a supply of empty or filled capsules 1L. Hopper. 1G is provided withv a sloping bottom 12-and has suitably afiixed transversely between its sidewallsi such as 13, a gating bafile 14. Baffle 14. is positioned at. an. angle toward bottomlZ and has its lower end terminating a relatively short distance fromthe upper surfacethereofv to provide a channel 15 for the flow of. capsules from the: mass contained in the upper portion of hopperltltoward bottom 12. The lower end of: bottom 12. is preferably formed with a circular, depending flange 16 merging with v endwall17 to provideathroat 18.

The orienting and feeding element comprises a cylindrical rotor 19 having an angular, truncated upper end 20 projecting into the plane of bottom 12. The angle of inclination of end Ztiis such that the upperextremity of the incline projects slightly above the plane 129. of bottom 12 and thelower end of said incline lies substantially flush therewith. An angle in the range; of from 15 to 45fid'egrees has been found to give the desired biasing action: later to be described. If desired, a bearingannul'us 21 may be inserted between throat 18.and.the external sure face of rotor 19, said. annulus. having a suitable. sleeve bearing 22 provided therein for the purpose of journalling the. upper end of rotor 15 for rotationwithin. throat 18.:

The lower end of rotor 19 is journalled for rotation in a suitable ball raceway 2? preferably of the sealedi type afliired in a support 24. A boreZS extends longitudinally and centrally through rotor 19, said bore b'eingofjust sufficient diameter to permit the'free and easy'passage of the capsules in upright position in single file therethrough. Bore 25 from a point indicated at 26, intermedi ate its ends, tapers outwardly and gradually upwardly to form a funnel 27. The upper end of funnel- 27. is gradually 'curved as at28 to merge with the outer: periphery of: the upper angularly' truncated end Zll to form: a fol-- cruming edge or lip adapted to engage capsules 11' as they descend by gravity along the sloping bottom 12.. The

7 lower end of bore 25 communicates with anegress tube with either filled or empty capsule in which th'e' capsule orienting and feeding operations are performed" in 'a smooth, gentle and efiicient manner without separating, rupturing, scratching, marring', the" surfaces of, brother; wise causing damage to the capsules.

' Another object of the, invention is to providea device of this character in which theelementfor'imparting agitation and feedingmovement to'tlie capsules is so designed and constructed as tosubject the capsules to a minimum of surface movement contact both relative to each other and to the orienting and. feeding elementv consistent. with effecting a sufficient degree. and. direction of movement. as to insure a smooth, continuous, and positive feedingaction to the capsules. 7

A furtherobject of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in design and const'mction, comprised of few parts, rugged and durable in operation, and economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with 29 suitably mounted upon a support 24 in axial alignment with said bore.

It will be understood, of course, that tube 29 at its lower end may lead into either capsule rectifying a-nd decapping mechanisms (not shown) in instances where the device is employed with a capsule filling. machine, or, into. a counting chute or tube (not shown) in instances, where they device is used in conjunction with capsule counting apparatus.

Any suitable means may be employed for driving rotor 19 continuously in rotation. The means hereinshown for illustrative purposes, includes a belt 39 passing around a groove 31 provided in the external surface of 'rotorf19 and also passing around a grooved pulley 3'2 afli xed to theupper end of a driving shaft 33. i

It will be understood that, if desired, the innerv surface of threat 18 may directly encircle rotor 19; It has. been; found in practice, however, that the presence, ofthe bear.- ing, annulus 21 assists in effecting a smooth capsule feed.- ing action. Desira-bly the upper surface ofithe'annulllsi is; provided with a chamfer 3d. Chamfer Z4 is preferably of an angle substantially in correspondence with the angle of slope of bottom 12 and the lower edge of the chamfer merges substantially flush with the lower end of the inclined surface 20 of rotor 19.

In operation the gating baiile 14 sustains the weight of the major portion of the mass of capsules contained in hopper 10. Hence, only aportion of the mass, at any given time, descends through channel 15 and has its weight resting directly upon the upper truncated end of rotor 19. This tends to reduce the pressure and attendant frictional rubbing contact of the capsules against each other at the point where they are oriented and fed by the rotor into bore 25. As rotor 19 rotates and imparts movement to the capsules they are, one by one, biased by the fulcruming lip 23 uprightly into the funnel 27, thence in single file array into bore 25, from which they descend into egress tube 29. it is noted that the ingress opening provided by the fulcruming lip 28 and funnel 27, due to the angular formation 20 at the upper end of rotor 19, lies in eccentric relation to the longitudinal axis of bore 25. In consequence, as rotor 19 is driven in rotation, a gentle, wobbling, agitating move ment is imparted to the relatively small mass of capsules lying directly above the rotor as the latter is swept beneath said mass of capsules. As before stated, during said rotation the capsules, one by one, in biasing over lip 28 upright themselves and guidedly enter in single file array the funnel portion 27 of the rotor.

It has been found in practice that the feeding of the capsules from hopper it) over lip 28 into funnel 27 and through the bore is accomplished in a continuous, smooth and free-flowing manner with a minimum of agitation to and frictional contact of the capsules and without tending in the slightest to cause cap and body separation or any untoward damage or mutilation to the capsule parts, whether the capsules being oriented and fed are filled or empty.

It will, of course, be understood that the construction just described may readily be modified so that a series of two or more of the driven rotors such as 19 are arranged in juxtaposition adjacent sloping bottom 12 to enable orientation and feeding into multiple tubes such as 25 While the form of device herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it isto be understood that it i not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed for it is susceptible in embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A capsule orienting and feeding device comprising a capsule supply receptacle having a sloping bottom, a cylindrical rotor having a transversely inclined upper end, said end being rotatably mounted in said bottom with the upper extremity of said incline projecting above the plane of said bottom for a distance substantially equal to onehalf the length of a capsule and the lower end of said incline lying substantially flush with said bottom, said rotor having a longitudinally extending bore of a diameter such as to permit the free and easy passage of capsules in vertical upright position therethrough, and means for continuously driving said rotor in rotation.

2. A capsule orienting and feeding device comprising a capsule supply hopper having a sloping bottom, av cylindrical rotor having a transversely inclined upper end positioned adjacent said bottom with the upper extremity of said incline projecting above the plane of said bottom for a distance substantially equal to one-half the length of a capsule and the lower extremity of said incline lying substantially flush with said bottom, said rotor having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, said bore being of a diameter such as to permit the free and easy passage of capsules in uprighted single file array therethrough, a beveled edge formed adjacent the periphery of said inclinedt upper end and gradually tapering into said bore, and means-for continuously driving said rotor in rotation.

3. A capsule orienting and feeding device comprising a capsule supply hopper having a sloping bottom, a cylindrical rotor having a transversely inclined upper end projecting in spaced relation from and into said hopper for a distance substantially equal to one-half the length of a capsule with the upper extremityfof said inclined end lying in fixed position above the plane of said bottom and the lower extremity of said'inclined end lying in fixed position substantially flush therewith, said rotor having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough of just suflicient diameter with respect to the diameter of the capsules as to permit the free and easy passage of the capsules in upright position in single file therethrough, said bore tapering outwardly from a point intermediate its ends gradually upwardly to form a funnel, said taper roundedly merging at its upper end into the outer Periphery of said from said rotor, and means for continuously driving said 1 rotor in rotation.

4. The capsule orienting and feeding device of claim 3 in which the said inclined upper end of said rotor is encircled by an annulus inset in said sloping bottom, said annulus being chamfered from its upper surface toward 1 said rotor and the lower edge of said chamfer merging flush with the uper edge of the lower end of said inclined upper end of said rotor. 7

5. A capsule orienting and feeding device comprising-a capsule supply hopper having a sloping bottom, a cylindrical rotor dependingly mounted adjacent the lowermost area of said bottom with the upper end of said rotor fixedly projecting thereinto'a distance equal to substantially one-half the length or" a capsule, means associated with said rotor for drivingit inrotation, said rotor being angularlytruncated at said upper end and having a funneled capsule orientingbore extending therethrough with the upper end of the-funnel curvedly merging into the outer periphery of said truncated rotor end to form a fulcruming lip, the angle of truncation of said end in combination with said fulcruming lip forming a capsule ingress opening eccentric to the axis of said bore whereby a continuously radial shifting of the fulcruming action of said lip is efiected with'respect to said bore to progressively 'and dynamically upright that capsule which has preceded others and entered farthest into said funnel, and simultaneously, a continuous gentle, wobbling and vertical displacing movement is imparted to the remaining capsules gravitationally contacting said angular fulcrum lip as said lip rotatively sweeps beneath said capsules so that, one after another, each eventually becomes that capsulewhich has entered farthest into said tunnel. 9 9

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Norway n--. Apr. 28, 

